The ‘Senehe Siyapatha’ initiative continued its second phase of relief efforts at the Kolonnawa Balika Vidayala yesterday.

Shoes and socks were distributed to schoolchildren affected by the floods.

Children from 33 schools in the Colombo and Gampaha districts will receive footwear worth over Rs. 8 million from the ‘Senehe Siyapatha’ initiative, comprising of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, Dialog Axiata PLC, Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

At the event held yesterday, 674 children received aid in the presence of Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka and Deputy Media Minister Karunaratna Paranawithana.

The ‘Senehe Siyapatha’ initiative contributed Rs. 50 million towards flood relief and will work closely with the Disaster Management Centre in the coming weeks to channel these funds to provide assistance to those affected, with a special focus on children.

Dialog customers were invited to donate Rs. 50 towards flood relief efforts, and Dialog tripled the donation by adding Rs. 100 thereby donating Rs. 150, collecting Rs. 50 million within a week. Customers donated Rs. 14.9 million to the initiative, whilst Dialog Axiata added Rs. 35.9 million.

Under the first phase of its activity, the ‘Senehe Siyapatha’ initiative donated 50 water pumps worth Rs. 1.6 million to the Disaster Management Centre to aid immediate relief efforts during the flood. The third stage will focus on rehabilitating up to 15 schools which were damaged during the disaster. Discussions are also underway to provide support to small and medium scale entrepreneurs who were impacted during this period, as part of a series of focused interventions.